JoEll Banks Wilford

JoEll Wilford
Centerfield, Utah

Our feisty, stubborn and beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, JoEll Banks Wilford, passed away peacefully on March 19, 2025, in Centerfield, Utah. She was born September 18, 1956, in Lupton, AZ to Joe Mann, Sr., and Mary Alice Goodluck. JoEll and her identical twin sister JoAnn were adopted and sealed to their parents DuWayne H. and Glenna Barker Banks when they were 18 months old. She married Joseph Walter Wilford later divorced in 1985. To this union were born 5 children: 3 sons and 2 daughters.

JoEll went to school in Walcott, Iowa and then later attended Snow College in Ephraim with her sister JoAnn. JoEll and her twin sister JoAnn, were inseparable. They never lived more than a few miles from each other their whole lives. They spent so many times fighting and forgiving each other, then grabbing their fishing poles to find somewhere to fish. When they were young, there was no telling them apart. They enjoyed this and would switch classes in school to see if they could fool their teachers. JoAnn and JoEll were always known as the “Banks twins” and their mother, Glenna, always dressed them in matching outfits that resembled Shirley Temple.

When JoAnn passed away, JoEll lost her other half. JoEll’s ultimate love was the mountains. She could always be found in Manti Canyon at Yearns Reservoir or Ephraim Canyon at Lake Hill throwing her fishing pole in to catch those beautiful and “scrumptious” trout. JoEll always had a passion for horses and loved going riding or on a cattle drive at her parents’ house in Escalante, UT.

JoEll spent many years battling Lupus, having her first knee replacement at age 35. She later had her other knee replaced and four total hip replacements. She was the bionic woman. JoEll’s health was a constant battle, and her stubbornness is what kept her going all these years.

JoEll was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and enjoyed singing in the Gunnison First Ward choir. JoEll loved to play the piano, sing and even wrote a song about her horse Mandy. JoEll would spend a lot of her time visiting the elderly in the community and even enjoyed her time she worked at the nursing home in Orem, UT. JoEll spent the rest of her time raising her 5 children by herself, which was a full-time job.

She is survived by her children: Amber Wilford; DuWayne (Briana) Wilford; Risa Wilford Washburn; and Steven (Sarah) Wilford. 12 grandchildren: Sativa, Travis, Alize, Kiowa, Dyani, Zion, Ni-ve, Freedom, Mariah, Anis, Emily and Ellie. Great grandbaby Brynleigh. Siblings: Douglas (Sandra) Banks; Robert (Irina) Banks; Neil (Judy) Banks. Many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews. Former sisters in laws with whom she cherished, Cheryl Banks and Bonnie Banks.

She is preceded in death by her parents, DuWayne H. and Glenna Barker Banks and birth parents, Joe Mann and Mary Alice Goodluck; her identical twin sister JoAnn Banks Long; son: Jeremy Wilford and grand-niece Lyberdee Cisneros.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 11:00 am in the Gunnison Stake Center, 80 West Center in Gunnison, UT. There will be a viewing prior to the funeral from 9:00 to 10:30 am. Interment will be in the Cedar City Cemetery by her twin sister JoAnn and parents, DuWayne and Glenna Banks.

Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook www.maglebymortuary.com